NFL
By: Melo Williams
Former Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball head coach, Bo Ryan has officially been enshrined into the 2024 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ryan was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2024 class with Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Charles Smith, Seimone Augustus, Dick Barnett, Harley Redin, Michele Timms, Doug Collins, Herb Simon and Jerry West.
Ryan began his speech by thanking his wife Kelly, even throwing in a wedding anniversary joke after recently celebrating their 50th anniversary saying, he and his wife have been married for 100 years, 50 each, followed by thanking their children.
Bo Ryan then thanked his high-school coach and mentor saying he benefits everyday from what he taught him.
After that, Ryan got emotional thanking the man that gave him his first college job, former Badgers men’s basketball head coach, Bill Cofield, the first African-American basketball head coach in the Big Ten conference.
“Bill was a pioneer who set the stage for a more diverse and inclusive environment across basketball.” “I’m still unsure what he saw in this junior highschool and highschool coach, but I’m forever grateful.”
Then Ryan thanked the athletic directors at UW-Platteville and Milwaukee for the opportunities, closing with thanking Wisconsin’s former athletic directors Pat Richter and Barry Alvarez.
“Pat’s support and counsel, helped us forge a new chapter in Wisconsin basketball. Barry Alvarez followed Pat, his AD and he was tremendously supportive during the latter years of our run at Wisconsin.”
Bo thanked the “Inner Circle”, which consisted of the managers who performed the endless tasks, and the assistant coaches for standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the recruiting trips, practices, meetings, road trips, the wins and losses, “I thank you all.”
Ryan saved his players for last saying “and finally my players.”
“For every hill you ran, which I’m known for,” Ryan said. “For every rebound you grabbed, for every free throw you practiced, for every charge you took, for every time you went to the floor for a loose ball, I thank each and every one of you. It was my supreme honor to coach you. I will cherish the memories we share for the rest of my life. Together, all of us along the way were so lucky to run out of that locker room onto that floor to the cheers of family and fans and play the world’s greatest game.”
Ryan spent 32 seasons as a college basketball head coach retiring in 2015. Ryan finished his career 26th on the NCAA’s all-time wins list with a record of 747-233.
Before his time with the Badgers, Ryan coached for UW-Milwaukee (1999-2000) leading Milwaukee to their first back-to-back winning seasons in eight years, and UW-Platteville (1984-1999) leading Platteville to four Division III national championships (1991, 1995, 1998, 1999).
Ryan led the winningest NCAA men’s basketball team of the 1990s (all divisions) with a 266-26 record.
Ryan spent nearly 15 seasons as head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2000 to the 2015-16 season. He was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year four times (2002, 2003, 2013, 2015), led Wisconsin to four Big Ten regular season championships (2002, 2003, 2008, 2015), three Big Ten Tournament championships (2004, 2009, 2015), two Final Four appearances (2014, 2015) and one appearance in the national championship game in 2015.
Bo Ryan joins two other Badgers in the Hall of Fame, Harold E. “Bud” Foster and Walter Meanwell.
